Improvement in apparatus for cutting cloth



A TlNrrn' rares PATENT trice.

BARNETT HANSELL, JOHN MCGANN, AND SAMUEL MCUAMBRIDGE, OF PHILADELPHIA,PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN APPARATUS FOR CUTTING (DLOTIEI.V

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 39,@62, dated September8, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we,A BARNnT'r HANsELL, JOHN McGANN, and SAMUELMGGAMBRIDGE, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and

State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement inMachines for Cutting Cloth for Tents and other Purposes; and We dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the construction and operation of the same, referencebeing had tothe annexed drawings, making a part of this speeitication,in Which- Figure l is a perspective view of the machine. Fig. 2 is avertical longitudinal section of the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective viewof the slotted cutter-bar J. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the slottedextensionbar J. Fig. 5is a perspective view of one ofthe slitting knivesQ, in combination with its stock It. Fig. (i is a persp. ctive view ot'the supporting-har T.

Like letters in all the iigures represent the same parts of the machine.

. The nature ot' our invention will be understood by the followingdescription:

WVe construct a standing frame, A, to receive the several parts of themachine. B is a cylinder, over which the cloth is wound to be cut intothe required length. lt has a central shaft, G, Whose journals D D turniu appropriate bearings in the uprights E E ofthe standing frame A. F isan endless apron, which encircles the said cylinder B and the roller G,whose journals turn in the uprights of the frame H, the said framebeingeonne'cted with the frame A at its lower end by means of themortises c tand pins b b. The upper end of the frame is adjustable forthe purpose of giving proper tightness to the apron Fby means ofthebraces I Lwhose lower ends turn on the pins o c and in the mortises d dot' the frame A', the upper end of the braces loeiug adjustable bymeansof the notches f ff fff ofthe frame H. rlhe 'frame A is made separatefrom the frame A, so that it may be bolted fast to the door of thebuildingl at any requisite distance from the latter fra-me to bring theroller Gr the proper distance from the cylinder B to suit the length ofthe apron F, which corresponds to the length or lengths of one or morepieces into which the cloth is to be cut. There is a bar, J, to whichtheends of the apron F are confined, one end being passed through thelongitudinal slot g and the other through the slot g and sewed fast tothe bar. The pricks It 7L IL h h (see Fig. 3) serve for the purpose ofattaching the front end of the cloth which is to be cut to the bar J.The inner edge of the slot g'also serves as a guide for a knife which isdrawn through said slot -to out the cloth into lengths when a sufficientquantity has been wound around the apron for that purpose. There may betW'o or more otl the slotted cutterbars J connected with the apron F,which may be either at equal or unequal distances, so that the cloth maybe cut either ot' equal or unequal lengths, as may be desired. There areways K K which serve as supports for the bar J, the ends ot' which restupon them While the cloth is being cut into lengths. The legs haveslotsjjjj through which the screws 7c 7c lc k pass and confine the legsto the frame A, The object of the slots is to vary the ways K K in theirelevation and angle to suit. any variation which may be made at any timein the length of the apron F. `The said apron is only used When thecircumference of the cylinder B cannot be conveniently made to suit thelengths into which the cloth is to be cut,an'd we seldom Iind occasionto use it except Awhen we cut the cloth into very long lengths. At othertimes the apron is detached from the machine, and the cloth is woundsimply around the cylinder B.

For the purpose of varying the circumference or" the cylinder B, inorder to vary the length ot' the pieces into which the cloth is to becut, there is an extension-bar, J', or, if necessary, there may beseveral arranged around the cylinder.` The bar J has legs m m, (seeFigs. 2 and 4,) which are movable in the grooves n n inthe heads of thesaid cylinder. (See Fig. 2.) The said legs are confined by means of thescrews o o, which pass through the slots p p, which lead into thegrooves n a. The extension of the bar J is represented by red lines inFig..2. There is a longitudinalslot, g, in the extension-bar J, for thesame purpose as a` guide for the knife as the slot g in the har J.'

L L are tensionbars for the cloth M as it is drawn either on thecylinder B or theapron F. They are permanently fastened to theuprights'C C. of the frame A. There are adjustable guides N N for thecloth, which have mortises or slots q q (see Fig. 2) equal in length tothe distance across the bars L L. They are secured on the said bars bymeans of the setscrews r r.

P is a tension-roller for the cloth, auxiliary to the bars L L.Contiguous to and in front of the said roller we place any number ofknives, Q Q, for cutting thel cloth into required widths. These kniveshave stocks B B, (see Fig. 5,) which fit in the longitudinal groove s ofthe bar S, 'which is permanently secured to the uprights C Cof the frameA. The knives Q Q are adjustable by means of the setscrews tt, whichpass through the longitudinal slot u of the bars S.

T is a support-bar for the cloth M to steady the same as it is actedupon by the slittingknives Q Q. For the purpose of lowering the said barwhen a piece of cloth is to be attached to the cylinder B, there is ahole, c, in its rear end, (see Fig. 6,) which tits on a piu or screw inthe upright C at the rear side of the machine. When the bar is in itselevated and acting position,its front end is secured by means of thespring w on the front upright, C. (See Fig. 1.) Sometimes some of thestrips of cloth which are wound around the cylinder B or the apron F arenot to be cut into the same lengths as the other strips, and for thepurpose of taking them out-of the way, as their attached ends come underthe cylinder B, after they have passed around the same, we give the endsa turn or two on the roller U, which is made to wind said strips up bymeans of the band V, connecting said roller with the cylinder B, as seenin Fig.` 1.

The operation is as follows: The front end ofthe cloth being passedaround the tensionbars L L and roller l, and caught on the p ricks h h hhh ot' the bar J, the c) linder B is turned in the direction of thearrow, which Winds the cloth a round the apron F,the. knives Q Q, in themean time, slitting it into the required widths; and any one of thestrips that is not to be. cut of the same length or lengthsas the othershas its front end disengaged from the bar J, and is wound a turn or twoon the roller U, to secure it to the same, the machine having beenstopped for that purpose. Then the machine is again started, and when asufficient quantity is wound on the apron to be cut, the machineis againstopped, with the bar J resting on the ways K K, and a knifeis drawn through the slotg ot'said bar, and against the inner edge of the slot,cutting all the strips across that have to be cut into the same lengths,and then the operation of winding and cutting the cloth is againproceeded with, as above described. The cloth that has been wound on theroller U may at any time be taken off of the same and laid aside to becut alone, or may be transferred to the apron F, or cylinder B, to becut into suitable lengths with other cloth, as the opera-tor may deembest. In the 'former case we take the roller out of its place and slipthe cloth from it in a careful manner, so that it may again be placed onit when occasion may require. For the purpose of detachin g the roller,the bearing for one of the journals (see Fig. 2) is open and has ashifting support-bar, in front to hold it in place, the said bar beingheld by the screw y at its bottom end, on which it turns, and catchingat its upper end between the bent rod z and the upright C', in which oneend of said rod is fastened. We, however, usually make the bearings forthejournals of the roller in the opposite side of the uprights C C',which supercedes the necessity of naviug anything to cover thejournal.In case the cloth is to be cut into short lengths, the use of the apronF is dispensed with and the cylinder B is merely used for winding thecloth. When we wish to cut the ends ot' the pieces of cloth of angularor curved form, or any other form otherwise than square, instead ofmaking the cutter-slot in the extension-bar J We make it in theperiphery of the cylinder B, which has to be ofunbroken surface, atleast where the slot or slots are formed.

Having thus fully described the construction and operation of themachine for cutting cloth for tents and other purposes, What we claimtherein as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The construction ofthe cylinder B, with one or more cutter-slots g,substantially as described, for the purpose of cutting the cloth intodenite and suitable lengths and forms, as above set forth.

2. Combining and arranging the extension bar or bars J with the cylinderB, ior the purpose of varying the circumference of the latter,substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

3. Constructing the. apron F with the slotted cutter bar J, whencombined and arranged with the cylinder B, substantially in the ina-nnerand for the purpose above set forth.

4. The combination ofthe knives Q Q with the cylinder B, when arrangedand operating substantially as described.

5. The combination and arrangement of the reciprocating roller U withthe cylinderB, substantially as and for the purpose above set lorth.

6. The arrangement ofthe support-bar T in relation to the knives Q Q andcloth M, substantially as described.

In testimony that theabove is our invention we have hereunto set ourhands and affixed our seals this 17th day of June, 1863.

B. HANSELL. [L.s.] JOHN MCUANN. [L s.) S. M. CAMBRIDGE. [1.. s.)Witnesses:

J oI-IN WHITE, STEPHEN Us'rIcK.

